Services / GATS / TISA

Climate Deception: Non-binding “Targets” for Climate, but Binding Rules on Trade in Services

Original Publication Date: 
4 December, 2015
Source: 
The Huffington Post
The whole world is watching as world leaders from nearly every country across the globe meet in Paris this week to set carbon emission reductions targets to address global climate change. Unfortunately representatives of 50 of the same governments are also meeting this week in Geneva to negotiate binding rules that will seriously constrain countries’ ability to meet those targets.

TiSA: A Framework for Reregulating the Global Trade in Services?

Original Publication Date: 
8 December, 2016
Source: 
The Huffington Post
Jude Kirton-Darling, Labour Member of the European Parliament for the North East of England, writes on International Trade in Services Agreement (TISA)

TiSA (Trade in Services Agreement) could become a major obstacle for governments willing to switch from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy

Original Publication Date: 
4 December, 2016
Source: 
UNI Global Union

The new leaked text of the Annexes on Energy and Environmental Services for the Trade in Services Agreement was published by Wikileaks on the 3rd of December. TiSA is being negotiated by 22 countries representing 70% of global trade behind closed doors in a secret room in Geneva while all eyes are on Paris where UN public talks are in full swing to design a new climate regime.

Wikileaks releases new TISA documents on Evionmental services and Eneregy related services

Original Publication Date: 
3 December, 2015
Source: 
WikiLeaks
Today, Thursday, December 3, 10am EST, WikiLeaks releases new secret documents from the huge Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) which is being negotiated by the US, EU and 22 other countries that account for 2/3rds of global GDP. Coinciding with the ongoing climate talks in Paris, today's publication touches on issues of crucial relevance including the regulation of energy, industrial development, workers' rights and the natural environment. WikiLeaks is also publishing expert analyses of the documents.

Switzerland’s largest city declares “Tisa-Free Zone”

Original Publication Date: 
6 November, 2015
Source: 
Public Services International (PSI)
The city of Zurich has voted to declare itself a TISA-free zone, in a move which emphasizes a growing resistance to the secret trade talks. A proposal introduced to the Zurich Communal Council by the Green Party was passed by a firm majority and could help to establish a precedent for other regions across Europe who may hope to do the same.

US will deny S&D for China and India, no DDA after Nairobi

Original Publication Date: 
5 October, 2015
Source: 
TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Oct15/03)
The United States intends to pursue, after the Nairobi WTO Ministerial Conference, an aggressive trade strategy by forcing "differentiation" to deny special and differential treatment for China and India at the World Trade Organization (WTO), several people familiar with the development told the SUNS.

Uruguay abandons TiSA

Original Publication Date: 
10 September, 2015
Source: 
Third World Network
On 5 September 2015 a very large majority of the Frente Amplio, the governing political coalition in Uruguay voted against continuing to be part of the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) negotiations taking place in Geneva. These plurilateral negotiations are taking part outside the framework of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and its General Agreement on Services (GATS) and have generated concerns over the adverse impacts of the type of services liberalization pushed for by developed countries led by the United States, the European Union and Australia.

How the US is Using a Secret Agreement on Services to Wriggle Out of Its WTO Obligations

Original Publication Date: 
17 July, 2015
Source: 
THE WIRE
It is increasingly evident that the TiSA negotiations are an attempt to pressure developing countries to grant greater liberalisation in sectors of interest to the US and other industrialised countries, without the latter having to pay any price for it.

CUPE delegates in Colombia to oppose secret TISA deal

Original Publication Date: 
13 July, 2015
Source: 
Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)
The Frontlines Initiative is a joint project of four national public sector unions - the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) - which joins forces with sister unions in Colombia to fight against the privatization of public services and to strengthen each other’s struggles to defend human and labour rights. The delegation in Colombia received an important briefing on the Trade in Services Agreement (TISA), a proposed international trade treaty that, if ratified, will put public services in Colombia, Canada and 48 other countries at extreme risk.

Huge International Coalition Calls for a Big Change to WTO Agenda

Original Publication Date: 
10 July, 2015
Source: 
ALERNET
Negotiations in the WTO are heating up – and they are going badly. In November last year, WTO members agreed to come up with a “Work Program” for resurrecting the Doha Round by July 31. In this article Deborah James of OWINFS network articulates civil society position on recent developments in WTO negotiations.

Nairobi MC10 must deliver on development, say CSOs

Original Publication Date: 
9 July, 2015
Source: 
TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Jul15/07)
Some 341 global civil society organisations (CSOs) on Wednesday underlined that if the upcoming tenth ministerial conference (MC10) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to be held in Nairobi, Kenya is to be a "success", it must deliver on development and turn around the WTO.

341 groups from 100+ countries call on WTO Members to Abandon Liberalization Push and Turnaround WTO Agenda

Original Publication Date: 
8 July, 2015
Today, 341 global civil society organizations – including development advocates, trade unions, farmers’ organizations, consumer and environmental groups from over 100 countries – sent a letter to WTO members today urging them to abandon the WTO expansion talks and instead focus on an urgent agenda to fix existing damaging rules in the WTO.

Letter from Civil Society Regarding Future Agenda of the WTO Negotiations

Delivery date: 
8 July, 2015
341 organizations of civil society from over 100 countries of the global North and South, as consumer groups, environmentalists, trade unions, farmers, and other development advocates, have sent a letter to WTO members regarding the wrong direction of the current WTO talks, and urged the governments to substantially turnaround the negotiations in advance of the December Ministerial in Nairobi.

Just Before Round of Negotiations on the Proposed “Trade in Services Agreement (TISA),” Wikileaks Releases Second Set of Updated Secret Documents

Original Publication Date: 
2 July, 2015
Today, Wikileaks released a second batch of the most updated draft texts on the proposed TISA, along with substantive analysis, on each of four cross-cutting annexes: Financial Services, Telecommunications, Electronic Commerce, and Maritime Transport. This follows on their release yesterday of texts on Domestic Regulation, the “Movement of Natural Persons,” Transparency, and Government Procurement, along with what WikiLeaks called the journalistic holy grail: the TISA’s Core Text.

LEAKED: How the Biggest Banks Are Conspiring to Rip Up Financial Regulations around the World

Original Publication Date: 
2 July, 2015
Source: 
Wolf Street
It’s almost impossible to keep anything secret these days – not even the core text of a hyper-secret trade deal, the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA), which has spent the last two years taking shape behind the hermetically sealed doors of highly secure locations around the world. According to the agreement’s provisional text, the document is supposed to remain confidential and concealed from public view for at least five years after being signed! But now, thanks to WikiLeaks, it has seeped to the surface.

Wikileaks Releases Updated Secret TISA Documents Just Before Negotiations - The Huffington Post, July 2, 2015

Original Publication Date: 
2 July, 2015
Source: 
The Huffington Post
Today, Wikileaks released a second batch of the most updated draft texts on the proposed TISA, along with substantive analysis, on each of four massive services sectors: Financial Services, Telecommunications Services, Electronic Commerce, and Maritime Transport. This follows on their release yesterday of cross-cutting annexes on Domestic Regulation, the "Movement of Natural Persons," Transparency, and Government Procurement, and the Agenda for next week's negotiations, along with what Wikileaks called the journalistic holy grail: the Core Text of the proposed agreement.

TiSA WikiLeaked: Winners & losers of multinational trade deal - RT

Original Publication Date: 
2 July, 2015
Source: 
Russia Today
WikiLeaks has published secret “core text” related to the controversial trade agreement currently being negotiated behind closed doors between the US, EU and 23 other countries. Big corporations look to be the biggest winners in the deal.

Time to wave the white flag on TISA secrecy - Prof. Jane Kelsey, July 2, 2015

Original Publication Date: 
2 July, 2015
Source: 
Scoop.co.nz
Today, Wikileaks has posted recent texts from April and May 2015, including the proposed core text and annexes on domestic regulation and transparency, and provided expert analysis of those texts (wikileaks.org/tisa/).

TISA Leaks Part Deux: More Evidence of Concerted Attack on Democracy

Original Publication Date: 
2 July, 2015
Source: 
Common Dreams
One day after it leaked a trove of documents related to the massive, pro-corporate Trade in Services Agreement (TISA), WikiLeaks on Thursday published another four chapters of the proposed 52-nation trade deal, covering key areas ahead of the next negotiating round on Monday.

Wikileaks Releases Updated Secret Documents on TISA - OWINFS Press Release, July 1, 2015

Original Publication Date: 
1 July, 2015
Today, Wikileaks released the most updated draft texts on the proposed TISA, along with substantive analysis, on each of four cross-cutting annexes: Domestic Regulation, the “Movement of Natural Persons,” Transparency, and a previously-unreleased annex on Government Procurement. In addition they released the Core Text with accompanying analysis and the agenda for the negotiations next week. The negotiating texts are supposed to remain secret for five years after the deal is finalized or abandoned.